Margaux Morisseau

State Senate District 21

http://michellerouch.com/toc.htm Margaux Morisseau is the Director of Community Building & Organizing for NeighborWorks Blackstone River Valley, a nonprofit Community Development Corporation which builds homes and communities for low-to-moderate-income families throughout Northern Rhode Island. Margaux works with neighbors and directs programs including NWBRV’s K-12th grade college access youth programs, the organization’s AmeriCorps VISTA program, and the community organizing and advocacy initiatives. Margaux is dedicated to effecting change through working with youth, asset building, and empowerment and has been involved in the nonprofit community since 1996 when she served as an AmeriCorps member with City Year Rhode Island.

no prescription Dilantin Margaux is the founding director of the RI chapter of New Leaders Council, a national non-profit that works to train and support progressive political entrepreneurs. As part of her advocacy work she leads the RI Coalition for Payday Lending Reform. Margaux also serves on the board of directors for the Fund for Community Progress and the Housing Action Coalition of Rhode Island. In addition, she is an appointed member of the Scituate Affordable Housing Committee.

http://renovahandcare.com/protect-hands-winter-weather/ Margaux has a certificate in Community Development from Roger Williams University and has a bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Rhode Island College. She completed Bank of America’s Emerging Leaders Program in 2009 and Leadership Blackstone Valley in 2005. Margaux has been recognized as a National Collegiate Entrepreneur when she owned and operated The Greenery, an award winning floral, garden and gift shop in North Scituate. In 2011, the Fund for Community Progress named her Board Member of the Year. In 2013, The Woonsocket Police Department named her Citizen of the Year. And in 2014, NeighborWorks America honored her with the National Award for Excellence in Community Building.

Michael Marcello

State Representative District 41

Mike is a product of the Scituate public school system. He attended Clayville Elementary School and graduated from Scituate High School in 1986. In 1990, earned a B.A. from Colby College in Waterville, ME with highest honors and distinction in government. In 1994, Mike graduated from the The American University-Washington College of Law in Washington, DC where he received awards for his legal research and writing. As part of his legal education, he also worked at the U.S. Department of Justice.

brahmin order status Michael Marcello was a law clerk for the State of Connecticut’s superior court system for two years before joining Morrison Mahoney LLP in Providence, RI in 1996. He became a partner in the firm and specialized in civil litigation, municipal law, and insurance coverage issues. In December 2014, Mike was appointed the city solicitor for the City of Woonsocket. In that capacity, Mike advises the Mayor and City Council on all issues affecting the city government including labor, taxes, economic development, and zoning.

In 2008, Mike won a seat in the Rhode Island House representing Scituate and western Cranston. He quickly distinguished himself as a dedicated and hard-working legislator. He has served on numerous House committees including Judiciary (Vice-Chair); Environment and Natural Resources; Corporations and Rules. In 2012, he was named as the Chair of the House Oversight Committee. In that capacity, Mike held oversight hearings on the administration of the 2012 elections, the state’s student loan program, and 38 Studios. In March 2012, Mike ran for Speaker of the House after the then Speaker abruptly resigned. Mike ran on a reform platform, but lost the race to the current Speaker. He currently serves on the House Corporations Committee, and the House Committee of Environment and Natural Resources.

Town Council

Kara M. Fay

A respected attorney, Kara desires a seat on the Town Council to bring balance and more structure to the town’s governing body. “The Town Council needs to have an advocate who understands the law and the needs of our changing community. The current body makes too many decisions behind closed doors, and effectively shuts out community input.” Kara graduated from Rhode Island College and went on to earn her law degree at Hamline University. A former assistant attorney general, Kara knows how to ask tough questions and pledges to hold all town department heads accountable and to advocate for a more open and transparent government. She is currently employed as an attorney at Fay Law Associates in Cranston, RI. She is the mother of three children, Liam, Kierden, and Ashley. A former CCD teacher and Assistant Coach in the town’s recreation program, Kara and her family reside in the Potterville area of Scituate.

Janine Grigelevich

Active in her community, Janine Grigelevich is seeking election to the Town Council. A graduate of Quinnipiac University with a Bachelor of Science degree, Janine has used her critical thinking and science skills as a senior research assistant at area hospitals. A dedicated parent and community leader, Janine has shown her commitment to the town in her role as a Girl Scout Leader (Troop 1229), SKILL leader at North Scituate Elementary, and as a Senior Project judge at Scituate High School. “The town council needs to be more pro-active in planning for the future as well as in the support for our seniors and students. I am committed to being a voice of all of our residents, and hope to bring a much needed family perspective to the Town’s governing body.” Janine and her husband Ray reside in North Scituate and are the parents of Scituate High School graduate Elena and freshman Samuel.

John Tessitore

John seeks a seat on the Town Council to bring balance and a professional perspective to decision making. A graduate of Boston College and the State University of New York where he earned his PhD, John is the Executive Editor for the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs. “My goal in seeking a seat on the Town Council is to bring a broader perspective to the decision making process, and to work closely with all our elected officials at both the state and local level, to ensure that Scituate takes advantage of information, funding opportunities, and other supports to ensure that our residents receive the best possible services from their local government.” John and his wife Judith reside in Hope, and are the proud parents of two young women, Ava and Lia, who attended and graduated from the Scituate schools.

School Committee

Jean N. Esposito

Jean Esposito is seeking re-election to the Scituate School Committee. First elected in 2012, Jean has been a staunch advocate for accountability and transparency in our school department.

Through her efforts, the Department adopted its first ever textbook replacement policy as well as instituted performance based evaluations for all school administrators including the Superintendent. She has demanded realistic budgets and fought for funding to improve our school’s aging infrastructure. An advocate for open government, Jean continually demands strict compliance with the state’s Open Meetings Act.

She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Rhode Island College in Secondary Education in 1971. Jean’s teaching career in mathematics began in Mansfield High School, Mansfield, and Massachusetts. Remaining current in her career, Jean finished her Masters Degree in Secondary Mathematics and coursework towards her Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies in Mathematics Education as she worked and excelled professionally.

Jean became a resident of Scituate in 1984, moving to the Potterville/Hope neighborhood. During that same year, Jean became the Mathematics Department Chair at Scituate High School. She taught and managed the department for twenty-five and one-half years until her retirement in 2009. She was a valued member of the faculty of SHS, serving on many committees, locally and at the state level. She co-developed the PBGR system and was instrumental in its implementation. She was awarded the NSF Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching Mathematics in 2003, representing Rhode Island. She was a valued member of the Rhode Island community of mathematics educators and was an adjunct professor of Mathematics and Computer Science at Rhode Island College, Bryant University and Johnson and Wales University.

Her husband, Rick, served twenty-two years on the State Police and retired as a detective lieutenant in charge of the Bureau of Criminal Identification.

Carolyn J. Dias

Independent

Carolyn Dias is seeking election to the Scituate School Committee. The former Chief Operating Officer of the Rhode Island Department of Education, Carolyn will bring a wealth and depth of knowledge on school financing, curriculum development, and state resources to the school committee. Currently the Director of Business Services at Roger Williams University, Carolyn knows what it takes to prepare our students for college and careers in the 21st Century. A dedicated public servant, her expertise and passion for children make her uniquely qualified to help shape the course of Scituate’s school system to ensure that all of Scituate’s students receive the best education.

During her tenure at RIDE, Carolyn was instrumental in instituting policies and procedures that resulted in significant systemic reforms. For example, her work on the development and implementation of a new statewide funding formula significantly increased state revenue for Scituate’s schools.

As a Scituate School Committee member, she will use her experience and expertise to collaborate with administrators, teachers, students and parents to ensure quality learning opportunities for ALL students while maintaining fiscal integrity. The success of our students will be her top priority so that they may excel in post-secondary college and career pathways.

“I am excited to apply my knowledge and experience gained at the state level to Scituate’s schools. As a district, we need to be pro-active to ensure that our students get access to the resources they need while ensuring that we receive our fair share of state resources”

Active in her community, Carolyn is a member and secretary of the Scituate Art Festival. A Scituate resident for 28 years, Carolyn Dias and her husband Donald have two sons, John and Donald, who are proud Scituate Spartan graduates. A graduate of Providence College with a degree in Business Administration, Carolyn is currently enrolled in the Roger Williams University’s masters program.

Town Clerk

Margaret "Peggy" Long

As Town Clerk, Margaret “Peg” Long is the only full time elected official in our Town. She was first elected as Town Clerk in 2000 after serving ten years as a member of the Town Council. Under her leadership, she modernized the office by implementing computerized land evidence records, started e-mail notification to residents to keep them better informed of town meetings and events, and is currently working on revising the Town’s website.

After leaders of the Democratic party pushed for funding for live streaming of Town Council and School Committee meetings, it fell to the Town Clerk to implement it. A certified municipal clerk (CMC), Peg is the past president of the Rhode Island and New England Association of Town Clerks. In her next term, Peg plans to work towards the re-codification of all town ordinances and seeks to stream-line the local business licensing process.

Town Treasurer

Sharon Johnson

Sharon Johnson made history in 2014 by becoming the Town’s first female Treasurer after defeating a 16 year-incumbent. During her tenure, the Town’s bond rating was upgraded and she addressed the significant under-funding of the private police pension and the failure of the Town’s pension committee to hold meetings. She proposed balanced municipal budgets and began to implement a plan to end the Town’s long-standing practice of short term borrowing for long term capital investments.

A graduate of Rhode Island College and a 25 year employee of the accounting firm, Carlucci & Dugan, Sharon has the knowledge and experience to restore integrity and transparency to the Town Treasurer’s office. A familiar face in her community, Sharon has been a Girl Scout leader for twenty years and is the past president of the Scituate Rotary Club, and a trustee of the North Scituate Library.

As Scituate’s next Town Treasurer, she pledges to investigate shared municipal services to save taxpayer dollars, establish a five-year capital improvement plan, and continue to reform and fund the Town’s private police pension plan.

“It is more important than ever that the Treasurer’s Office is occupied by someone who is willing to put in the necessary time to ensure that our tax dollars are well managed and well spent. The Office of Treasurer needs to be staffed and run with a keen eye to saving money and holding departments accountable and within budget. Four years ago, we made history and progress in that office, and I hope to do so again in 2016.”

Director of Public Welfare

Neal Drobnis

Neal J. Drobnis has been a resident of the Town of Scituate for over 25 years. He is married and has two children. Neal is on staff at Jewish Family Services and is a RI Certified Lead Inspector working to conquer the problems of Childhood Lead Poisoning throughout the state. He is an educator under the auspices of the Childhood Lead Action Project. Neal received a Masters Degree from the Rhode Island School of Design.

As a candidate for Scituate’s Director of Public Welfare, Neal has a deep concern for residents who are in need of basic services. He believes it is vital that our community address problems of food insecurity and the need for home heating assistance during the winter months. Neal plans to tap into the resources offered by state and federal agencies to enhance local funding and to develop programs that help underserved residents.

“I have always believed that when called upon, our community will step up to any challenge, and that through good will and determination we will come together to help our neighbors in their time of need. Working with various agencies and organizations has helped me to understand that there are many paths to providing effective services. As Director, I will address these challenges and work with our community partners in Scituate to ensure that no resident is ever overlooked or left unassisted.”

Town Moderator

Marco Schiappa

Marco is seeking to be the Town Moderator to provide a fair and impartial forum for voters to review the Town’s annual budget. The main role of this position is to preside at the town’s April financial town meeting where voters have the legal right to amend the town council’s proposed budget. “Taxpayers deserve a moderator who is impartial and objective, and I will ensure that voter’s concerns and complaints are heard at this important meeting. My only goal is to protect the interests of the taxpayers, and let the public will be heard and not squelched.” Marco and his family reside in the Chopmist Hill area of our town.

Scituate Democratic Town Committee

PO Box 442
North Scituate, Rhode Island 02857

Phone: (401) 647-4420
Email: scituatedemocrats@gmail.com

Paid for by the Scituate Democrats Town Committee, and not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.